California dairies look to export to stop slump

摘要

Boosting exports would help pull the Californian dairy industry out of its slump, members said at a recent meeting. About 90 per cent of Californian milk is consumed within the US, but the industry is now seeking foreign markets to absorb the increasing output.rnRecent farmgate prices have been poor. Northern California farmers were receiving a minimum of US$0.97 (€0.75) per gallon of milk bound for bottling plants, comparedrnwith $1.87 a year earlier and $1.30 in February 2007. Milk to be made into cheese and other products is getting even less, while feed costs are running around 120% of the milk price, according to farmers.